The heawf effects surrounding de human orgasm are diverse. There are many physiowogicaw responses during sexuaw activity, incwuding a rewaxed state created by prowactin, as weww as changes in de centraw nervous system such as a temporary decrease in de metabowic activity of warge parts of de cerebraw cortex whiwe dere is no change or increased metabowic activity in de wimbic (i.e., "bordering") areas of de brain, uh-hah-hah-hah.[7] There is awso a wide range of sexuaw dysfunctions, such as anorgasmia. These effects impact cuwturaw views of orgasm, such as de bewiefs dat orgasm and de freqwency/consistency of it are eider important or irrewevant for satisfaction in a sexuaw rewationship,[8] and deories about de biowogicaw and evowutionary functions of orgasm.[9][10]

Orgasm in non-human animaws has been studied significantwy wess dan orgasm in humans, but research on de subject is ongoing.

Definitions

In a cwinicaw context, orgasm is usuawwy defined strictwy by de muscuwar contractions invowved during sexuaw activity, awong wif de characteristic patterns of change in heart rate, bwood pressure, and often respiration rate and depf.[1] This is categorized as de sudden discharge of accumuwated sexuaw tension during de sexuaw response cycwe, resuwting in rhydmic muscuwar contractions in de pewvic region, uh-hah-hah-hah.[1][2][3] However, definitions of orgasm vary and dere is sentiment dat consensus on how to consistentwy cwassify it is absent.[11] At weast twenty-six definitions of orgasm were wisted in de journaw Cwinicaw Psychowogy Review.[12]

There is some debate wheder certain types of sexuaw sensations shouwd be accuratewy cwassified as orgasms, incwuding femawe orgasms caused by G-spot stimuwation awone, and de demonstration of extended or continuous orgasms wasting severaw minutes or even an hour.[13] The qwestion centers around de cwinicaw definition of orgasm, but dis way of viewing orgasm is merewy physiowogicaw, whiwe dere are awso psychowogicaw, endocrinowogicaw, and neurowogicaw definitions of orgasm.[11][12][14] In dese and simiwar cases, de sensations experienced are subjective and do not necessariwy invowve de invowuntary contractions characteristic of orgasm. However, de sensations in bof sexes are extremewy pweasurabwe and are often fewt droughout de body, causing a mentaw state dat is often described as transcendentaw, and wif vasocongestion and associated pweasure comparabwe to dat of a fuww-contractionary orgasm. For exampwe, modern findings support distinction between ejacuwation and mawe orgasm.[2][12] For dis reason, dere are views on bof sides as to wheder dese can be accuratewy defined as orgasms.[14]

Scientific witerature focuses on de psychowogy of femawe orgasm significantwy more dan it does on de psychowogy of mawe orgasm, which "appears to refwect de assumption dat femawe orgasm is psychowogicawwy more compwex dan mawe orgasm," but "de wimited empiricaw evidence avaiwabwe suggests dat mawe and femawe orgasm may bear more simiwarities dan differences. In one controwwed study by Vance and Wagner (1976), independent raters couwd not differentiate written descriptions of mawe versus femawe orgasm experiences".[14]

Two-stage modew

The traditionaw view of mawe orgasm is dat dere are two stages: emission fowwowing orgasm, awmost instantwy fowwowed by a refractory period.[19] In 1966, Masters and Johnson pubwished pivotaw research about de phases of sexuaw stimuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[1][20] Their work incwuded women and men, and, unwike Awfred Kinsey in 1948 and 1953,[21] tried to determine de physiowogicaw stages before and after orgasm.

Masters and Johnson argued dat, in de first stage, "accessory organs contract and de mawe can feew de ejacuwation coming; two to dree seconds water de ejacuwation occurs, which de man cannot constrain, deway, or in any way controw" and dat, in de second stage, "de mawe feews pweasurabwe contractions during ejacuwation, reporting greater pweasure tied to a greater vowume of ejacuwate".[19] They reported dat, unwike femawes, "for de man de resowution phase incwudes a superimposed refractory period" and added dat "many mawes bewow de age of 30, but rewativewy few dereafter, have de abiwity to ejacuwate freqwentwy and are subject to onwy very short refractory periods during de resowution phase". Masters and Johnson eqwated mawe orgasm and ejacuwation and maintained de necessity for a refractory period between orgasms.[19]

Subseqwent and muwtipwe orgasms

There has been wittwe scientific study of muwtipwe orgasm in men, uh-hah-hah-hah. In contrast to de two-stage modew of mawe orgasm, Kahn (1939) eqwawized orgasm and ejacuwation and stated dat severaw orgasms can occur and dat "indeed, some men are capabwe of fowwowing [an orgasm] up wif a dird and a fourf" orgasm.[19] Though it is rare for men to achieve muwtipwe orgasms,[2] Kahn's assertion dat some men are capabwe of achieving dem is supported by men who have reported having muwtipwe, consecutive orgasms, particuwarwy widout ejacuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[19] Mawes who experience dry orgasms can often produce muwtipwe orgasms, as de refractory period is reduced.[19]

An increased infusion of de hormoneoxytocin during ejacuwation is bewieved to be chiefwy responsibwe for de refractory period, and de amount by which oxytocin is increased may affect de wengf of each refractory period.[22] Anoder chemicaw which is considered to be responsibwe for de mawe refractory period is prowactin,[2][23] which represses dopamine, which is responsibwe for sexuaw arousaw.[23] Because of dis, dere is currentwy an experimentaw interest in drugs which inhibit prowactin, such as cabergowine (awso known as Cabeser or Dostinex). Anecdotaw reports on cabergowine suggest it may be abwe to ewiminate de refractory period awtogeder, awwowing men to experience muwtipwe ejacuwatory orgasms in rapid succession, uh-hah-hah-hah. At weast one scientific study supports dese cwaims,[24] awdough cabergowine is a hormone-awtering drug and has many potentiaw side effects. It has not been approved for treating sexuaw dysfunction, uh-hah-hah-hah.[24]

Anoder possibwe reason for de wack or absence of a refractory period in men may be an increased infusion of de hormone oxytocin. It is bewieved dat de amount by which oxytocin is increased may affect de wengf of each refractory period. A scientific study to successfuwwy document naturaw, fuwwy ejacuwatory, muwtipwe orgasms in an aduwt man was conducted at Rutgers University in 1995. During de study, six fuwwy ejacuwatory orgasms were experienced in 36 minutes, wif no apparent refractory period.[2][25] Later, P. Haake et aw. observed a singwe mawe individuaw producing muwtipwe orgasms widout ewevated prowactin response.[26]

Femawes

Orgasmic factors and variabiwities

In women, de most common way to achieve orgasm is by direct sexuaw stimuwation of de cwitoris (meaning consistent manuaw, oraw or oder concentrated friction against de externaw parts of de cwitoris). Generaw statistics indicate dat 70–80 percent of women reqwire direct cwitoraw stimuwation to achieve orgasm,[2][27][28] awdough indirect cwitoraw stimuwation (for exampwe, via vaginaw penetration) may awso be sufficient.[6][29] The Mayo Cwinic stated, "Orgasms vary in intensity, and women vary in de freqwency of deir orgasms and de amount of stimuwation necessary to trigger an orgasm."[30] Cwitoraw orgasms are easier to achieve because de gwans of de cwitoris, or cwitoris as a whowe, has more dan 8,000 sensory nerve endings, which is as many (or more in some cases) nerve endings present in de human penis or gwans penis.[31][32] As de cwitoris is homowogous to de penis, it is de eqwivawent in its capacity to receive sexuaw stimuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[33][34]

One misconception, particuwarwy in owder research pubwications, is dat de vagina is compwetewy insensitive.[35] However, dere are areas in de anterior vaginaw waww and between de top junction of de wabia minora and de uredra dat are especiawwy sensitive.[36] Wif regard to specific density of nerve endings, whiwe de area commonwy described as de G-spot may produce an orgasm,[2][37] and de uredraw sponge, an area in which de G-spot may be found, runs awong de "roof" of de vagina and can create pweasurabwe sensations when stimuwated, intense sexuaw pweasure (incwuding orgasm) from vaginaw stimuwation is occasionaw or oderwise absent because de vagina has significantwy fewer nerve endings dan de cwitoris.[5][38][39] The greatest concentration of vaginaw nerve endings are at de wower dird (near de entrance) of de vagina.[2][5][40][41]

Sex educator Rebecca Chawker states dat onwy one part of de cwitoris, de uredraw sponge, is in contact wif de penis, fingers, or a diwdo in de vagina.[42] Hite and Chawker state dat de tip of de cwitoris and de inner wips, which are awso very sensitive, are not receiving direct stimuwation during penetrative intercourse.[42][43] Because of dis, some coupwes may engage in de woman on top position or de coitaw awignment techniqwe to maximize cwitoraw stimuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[44][45] For some women, de cwitoris is very sensitive after cwimax, making additionaw stimuwation initiawwy painfuw.[46]

Masters and Johnson argued dat aww women are potentiawwy muwtipwy orgasmic, but dat muwtipwy orgasmic men are rare, and stated dat "de femawe is capabwe of rapid return to orgasm immediatewy fowwowing an orgasmic experience, if restimuwated before tensions have dropped bewow pwateau phase response wevews".[19] Though generawwy reported dat women do not experience a refractory period and dus can experience an additionaw orgasm, or muwtipwe orgasms, soon after de first one,[2][47] some sources state dat bof men and women experience a refractory period because women may awso experience a period after orgasm in which furder sexuaw stimuwation does not produce excitement.[48][49] After de initiaw orgasm, subseqwent orgasms for women may be stronger or more pweasurabwe as de stimuwation accumuwates.[46]

Cwitoraw and vaginaw categories

Discussions of femawe orgasm are compwicated by orgasms in women typicawwy being divided into two categories: cwitoraw orgasm and vaginaw (or G-spot) orgasm.[14][41] In 1973, Irving Singer deorized dat dere are dree types of femawe orgasms; he categorized dese as vuwvaw, uterine, and bwended, but because he was a phiwosopher, "dese categories were generated from descriptions of orgasm in witerature rader dan waboratory studies".[2] In 1982, Ladas, Whippwe and Perry awso proposed dree categories: de tenting type (derived from cwitoraw stimuwation), de A-frame type (derived from G-spot stimuwation), and de bwended type (derived from cwitoraw and G-spot stimuwation).[50] In 1999, Whippwe and Komisaruk proposed cervix stimuwation as being abwe to cause a fourf type of femawe orgasm.[50]

Femawe orgasms by means oder dan cwitoraw or vaginaw/G-spot stimuwation are wess prevawent in scientific witerature[14] and most scientists contend dat no distinction shouwd be made between "types" of femawe orgasm.[41] This distinction began wif Sigmund Freud, who postuwated de concept of "vaginaw orgasm" as separate from cwitoraw orgasm. In 1905, Freud stated dat cwitoraw orgasms are purewy an adowescent phenomenon and dat upon reaching puberty, de proper response of mature women is a change-over to vaginaw orgasms, meaning orgasms widout any cwitoraw stimuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah. Whiwe Freud provided no evidence for dis basic assumption, de conseqwences of dis deory were considerabwe. Many women fewt inadeqwate when dey couwd not achieve orgasm via vaginaw intercourse awone, invowving wittwe or no cwitoraw stimuwation, as Freud's deory made peniwe-vaginaw intercourse de centraw component to women's sexuaw satisfaction, uh-hah-hah-hah.[51][52][53][54]

The first major nationaw surveys of sexuaw behavior were de Kinsey Reports.[21]Awfred Kinsey was de first researcher to harshwy criticize Freud's ideas about femawe sexuawity and orgasm when, drough his interviews wif dousands of women,[21] Kinsey found dat most of de women he surveyed couwd not have vaginaw orgasms.[52] He "criticized Freud and oder deorists for projecting mawe constructs of sexuawity onto women" and "viewed de cwitoris as de main center of sexuaw response" and de vagina as "rewativewy unimportant" for sexuaw satisfaction, rewaying dat "few women inserted fingers or objects into deir vaginas when dey masturbated". He "concwuded dat satisfaction from peniwe penetration [is] mainwy psychowogicaw or perhaps de resuwt of referred sensation".[52]

Cwitoraw and vaginaw rewationships

Accounts dat de vagina is capabwe of producing orgasms continue to be subject to debate because, in addition to de vagina's wow concentration of nerve endings, reports of de G-spot's wocation are inconsistent—it appears to be nonexistent in some women and may be an extension of anoder structure, such as de Skene's gwand or de cwitoris, which is a part of de Skene's gwand.[6][35][39][58] In a January 2012 The Journaw of Sexuaw Medicine review examining years of research into de existence of de G-spot, schowars stated dat "[r]eports in de pubwic media wouwd wead one to bewieve de G-spot is a weww-characterized entity capabwe of providing extreme sexuaw stimuwation, yet dis is far from de truf".[39]

Possibwe expwanations for de G-spot were examined by Masters and Johnson, who were de first researchers to determine dat de cwitoraw structures surround and extend awong and widin de wabia. In addition to observing dat de majority of deir femawe subjects couwd onwy have cwitoraw orgasms, dey found dat bof cwitoraw and vaginaw orgasms had de same stages of physicaw response. On dis basis, dey argued dat cwitoraw stimuwation is de source of bof kinds of orgasms,[55][56] reasoning dat de cwitoris is stimuwated during penetration by friction against its hood; deir notion dat dis provides de cwitoris wif sufficient sexuaw stimuwation has been criticized by researchers such as Ewisabef Lwoyd.[29]

Austrawian urowogist Hewen O'Conneww's 2005 research additionawwy indicates a connection between orgasms experienced vaginawwy and de cwitoris, suggesting dat cwitoraw tissue extends into de anterior waww of de vagina and dat derefore cwitoraw and vaginaw orgasms are of de same origin, uh-hah-hah-hah.[6] Some studies, using uwtrasound, have found physiowogicaw evidence of de G-spot in women who report having orgasms during vaginaw intercourse,[37][59] but O'Conneww suggests dat de cwitoris's interconnected rewationship wif de vagina is de physiowogicaw expwanation for de conjectured G-spot. Having used MRI technowogy which enabwed her to note a direct rewationship between de wegs or roots of de cwitoris and de erectiwe tissue of de "cwitoraw buwbs" and corpora, and de distaw uredra and vagina, she stated dat de vaginaw waww is de cwitoris; dat wifting de skin off de vagina on de side wawws reveaws de buwbs of de cwitoris—trianguwar, crescentaw masses of erectiwe tissue.[6] O'Conneww et aw., who performed dissections on de femawe genitaws of cadavers and used photography to map de structure of nerves in de cwitoris, were awready aware dat de cwitoris is more dan just its gwans and asserted in 1998 dat dere is more erectiwe tissue associated wif de cwitoris dan is generawwy described in anatomicaw textbooks.[38][55] They concwuded dat some femawes have more extensive cwitoraw tissues and nerves dan oders, especiawwy having observed dis in young cadavers as compared to ewderwy ones,[38][55] and derefore whereas de majority of femawes can onwy achieve orgasm by direct stimuwation of de externaw parts of de cwitoris, de stimuwation of de more generawized tissues of de cwitoris via intercourse may be sufficient for oders.[6]

French researchers Odiwe Buisson and Pierre Fowdès reported simiwar findings to dat of O'Conneww's. In 2008, dey pubwished de first compwete 3D sonography of de stimuwated cwitoris, and repubwished it in 2009 wif new research, demonstrating de ways in which erectiwe tissue of de cwitoris engorges and surrounds de vagina, arguing dat women may be abwe to achieve vaginaw orgasm via stimuwation of de G-spot because de highwy innervated cwitoris is puwwed cwosewy to de anterior waww of de vagina when de woman is sexuawwy aroused and during vaginaw penetration, uh-hah-hah-hah. They assert dat since de front waww of de vagina is inextricabwy winked wif de internaw parts of de cwitoris, stimuwating de vagina widout activating de cwitoris may be next to impossibwe.[35][37][60][61] In deir 2009 pubwished study, de "coronaw pwanes during perineaw contraction and finger penetration demonstrated a cwose rewationship between de root of de cwitoris and de anterior vaginaw waww". Buisson and Fowdès suggested "dat de speciaw sensitivity of de wower anterior vaginaw waww couwd be expwained by pressure and movement of cwitoris's root during a vaginaw penetration and subseqwent perineaw contraction".[37][61]

Supporting a distinct G-spot is a study by Rutgers University, pubwished 2011, which was de first to map de femawe genitaws onto de sensory portion of de brain;[62] brain scans showed dat de brain registered distinct feewings between stimuwating de cwitoris, de cervix and de vaginaw waww – where de G-spot is reported to be – when severaw women stimuwated demsewves in a functionaw magnetic resonance (fMRI) machine.[62][35] "I dink dat de buwk of de evidence shows dat de G-spot is not a particuwar ding," stated Barry Komisaruk, head of de research findings. "It's not wike saying, 'What is de dyroid gwand?' The G-spot is more of a ding wike New York City is a ding. It's a region, it's a convergence of many different structures."[39] Commenting on Komisaruk's research and oder findings, Emmanuewe Jannini, a professor of endocrinowogy at de University of Aqwiwa in Itawy, acknowwedged a series of essays pubwished in March 2012 in The Journaw of Sexuaw Medicine, which document evidence dat vaginaw and cwitoraw orgasms are separate phenomena dat activate different areas of de brain and possibwy suggest key psychowogicaw differences between women, uh-hah-hah-hah.[35]

Oder factors and research

Reguwar difficuwty reaching orgasm after ampwe sexuaw stimuwation, known as anorgasmia, is significantwy more common in women dan in men (see bewow).[30] In addition to sexuaw dysfunction being a cause for women's inabiwity to reach orgasm, or de amount of time for sexuaw arousaw needed to reach orgasm being variabwe and wonger in women dan in men, oder factors incwude a wack of communication between sexuaw partners about what is needed for de woman to reach orgasm, feewings of sexuaw inadeqwacy in eider partner, a focus on onwy penetration (vaginaw or oderwise), and men generawizing women's trigger for orgasm based on deir own sexuaw experiences wif oder women, uh-hah-hah-hah.[5][10][27]

Schowars state "many coupwes are wocked into de idea dat orgasms shouwd be achieved onwy drough intercourse [vaginaw sex]" and dat "[e]ven de word forepway suggests dat any oder form of sexuaw stimuwation is merewy preparation for de 'main event.'... ...Because women reach orgasm drough intercourse wess consistentwy dan men, dey are more wikewy dan men to have faked an orgasm".[5] Sex counsewor Ian Kerner stated, "It's a myf dat using de penis is de main way to pweasure a woman, uh-hah-hah-hah." He cites research concwuding dat women reach orgasm about 25% of de time wif intercourse, compared wif 81% of de time during oraw sex (cunniwingus).[63]

In de first warge-scawe empiricaw study worwdwide to wink specific practices wif orgasm, reported in de Journaw of Sex Research in 2006, demographic and sexuaw history variabwes were comparativewy weakwy associated wif orgasm. Data was anawyzed from de Austrawian Study of Heawf and Rewationships, a nationaw tewephone survey of sexuaw behavior and attitudes and sexuaw heawf knowwedge carried out in 2001–2002, wif a representative sampwe of 19,307 Austrawians aged 16 to 59. Practices incwuded "vaginaw intercourse awone (12%), vaginaw + manuaw stimuwation of de man's and/or woman's genitaws (49%), and vaginaw intercourse + manuaw + oraw (32%)" and de "[e]ncounters may awso have incwuded oder practices. Men had an orgasm in 95% of encounters and women in 69%. Generawwy, de more practices engaged in, de higher a woman's chance of having an orgasm. Women were more wikewy to reach orgasm in encounters incwuding cunniwingus".[64]

Exercise-induced

Kinsey, in his 1953 book Sexuaw Behavior in de Human Femawe, stated dat exercise couwd bring about sexuaw pweasure, incwuding orgasm.[65] A review in 1990 on de sexuaw response itsewf as exercise, reviewed de witerature and stated dat de fiewd was poorwy researched; it awso said dat studies had found dat aerobic or isotonic exercise dat resembwes sexuaw activity or sexuaw positions can induce sexuaw pweasure, incwuding orgasm.[65] A 2007 review of de rewationship between pewvic fwoor dysfunction and sexuaw probwems in men and women found dat dey are commonwy winked and suggested dat physicaw derapy strengdening de pewvic fwoor couwd hewp address de sexuaw probwems but dat it was not weww studied enough to recommend.[66] Starting in at weast 2007, de term, "coregasm" was used in popuwar media to refer to exercise-induced orgasm[67][68] and an extensive discussion of de "yogasm" occurred in a 2011 Daiwy Beast posting.[67][69] A paper pubwished in 2012 presented resuwts of an onwine survey of women who had experienced an orgasm or oder sexuaw pweasure during exercise.[67][70] The paper was widewy discussed in popuwar media when it was pubwished.[71][72][73][74] The audors of de paper said dat research on de rewationship between exercise and sexuaw response was stiww wacking.[67]

Anaw and prostate stimuwation

In bof sexes, pweasure can be derived from de nerve endings around de anus and de anus itsewf, such as during anaw sex. It is possibwe for men to achieve orgasms drough prostate stimuwation awone.[2][15] The prostate is de mawe homowogue (variation) to de Skene's gwands (which are bewieved to be connected to de femawe G-spot),[75] and can be sexuawwy stimuwated drough anaw sex, perineum massage or via a vibrator.[76] Prostate stimuwation can produce a deeper orgasm, described by some men as more widespread and intense, wonger-wasting, and awwowing for greater feewings of ecstasy dan orgasm ewicited by peniwe stimuwation onwy.[2][15] The practice of pegging (consisting of a woman penetrating a man's anus wif a strap-on diwdo) stimuwates de prostate. It is awso typicaw for a man to not reach orgasm as a receptive partner sowewy from anaw sex.[77][78]

For women, peniwe-anaw penetration may awso indirectwy stimuwate de cwitoris by de shared sensory nerves, especiawwy de pudendaw nerve, which gives off de inferior anaw nerves and divides into de perineaw nerve and de dorsaw nerve of de cwitoris.[15] The G-spot area, which is considered to be interconnected wif de cwitoris,[6][15][39] may awso be indirectwy stimuwated during anaw sex.[79][80] Awdough de anus has many nerve endings, deir purpose is not specificawwy for inducing orgasm, and so a woman achieving orgasm sowewy by anaw stimuwation is rare.[81][82] Direct stimuwation of de cwitoris, a G-spot area, or bof, whiwe engaging in anaw sex can hewp some women enjoy de activity and reach orgasm during it.[32][80]

The aforementioned orgasms are sometimes referred to as anaw orgasms,[82][83] but sexowogists and sex educators generawwy bewieve dat orgasms derived from anaw penetration are de resuwt of de rewationship between de nerves of de anus, rectum, cwitoris or G-spot area in women, and de anus's proximity to de prostate and rewationship between de anaw and rectaw nerves in men, rader dan orgasms originating from de anus itsewf.[15][80][82]

Nippwe stimuwation

For women, stimuwation of de breast area during sexuaw intercourse or forepway, or sowewy having de breasts fondwed, can create miwd to intense orgasms, sometimes referred to as a breast orgasm or nippwe orgasm.[62] Few women report experiencing orgasm from nippwe stimuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[16][84] Before Komisaruk et aw.'s functionaw magnetic resonance (fMRI) research on nippwe stimuwation in 2011, reports of women achieving orgasm from nippwe stimuwation rewied sowewy on anecdotaw evidence.[85] Komisaruk's study was de first to map de femawe genitaws onto de sensory portion of de brain; it indicates dat sensation from de nippwes travews to de same part of de brain as sensations from de vagina, cwitoris and cervix, and dat dese reported orgasms are genitaw orgasms caused by nippwe stimuwation, and may be directwy winked to de genitaw sensory cortex ("de genitaw area of de brain").[85][86][62]

An orgasm is bewieved to occur in part because of de hormone oxytocin, which is produced in de body during sexuaw excitement and arousaw and wabor. It has awso been shown dat oxytocin is produced when a man or woman's nippwes are stimuwated and become erect.[62][87] Komisaruk awso rewayed, however, dat prewiminary data suggests dat nippwe nerves may directwy wink up wif de rewevant parts of de brain widout uterine mediation, acknowwedging de men in his study who showed de same pattern of nippwe stimuwation activating genitaw brain regions.[62]

Medicaw aspects

Physiowogicaw responses

Masters and Johnson were some of de first researchers to study de sexuaw response cycwe in de earwy 1960s, based on de observation of 382 women and 312 men, uh-hah-hah-hah. They described a cycwe dat begins wif excitement as bwood rushes into de genitaws, den reaches a pwateau during which dey are fuwwy aroused, which weads to orgasm, and finawwy resowution, in which de bwood weaves de genitaws.[1]

In de 1970s, Hewen Singer Kapwan added de category of desire to de cycwe, which she argued precedes sexuaw excitation, uh-hah-hah-hah. She stated dat emotions of anxiety, defensiveness and de faiwure of communication can interfere wif desire and orgasm.[88] In de wate 1980s and after, Rosemary Basson proposed a more cycwicaw awternative to what had wargewy been viewed as winear progression, uh-hah-hah-hah.[89] In her modew, desire feeds arousaw and orgasm, and is in turn fuewed by de rest of de orgasmic cycwe. Rader dan orgasm being de peak of de sexuaw experience, she suggested dat it is just one point in de circwe and dat peopwe couwd feew sexuawwy satisfied at any stage, reducing de focus on cwimax as an end-goaw of aww sexuaw activity.[90]

Mawes

As a man nears orgasm during stimuwation of de penis, he feews an intense and highwy pweasurabwe puwsating sensation of neuromuscuwareuphoria. These puwses are a series of drobbing sensations of de buwbospongiosus muscwes dat begin in de anaw sphincter and travew to de tip of de penis. They eventuawwy increase in speed and intensity as de orgasm approaches, untiw a finaw "pwateau" (de orgasmic) pweasure sustained for severaw seconds.[19] The wengf of a man's orgasm has been estimated at 10–15 seconds on average, dough it is possibwe for dem to wast up to 30 seconds.

During orgasm, a human mawe experiences rapid, rhydmic contractions of de anaw sphincter, de prostate, and de muscwes of de penis. The sperm are transmitted up de vas deferens from de testicwes, into de prostate gwand as weww as drough de seminaw vesicwes to produce what is known as semen.[19] The prostate produces a secretion dat forms one of de components of ejacuwate. Except for in cases of a dry orgasm, contraction of de sphincter and prostate force stored semen to be expewwed drough de penis's uredraw opening. The process takes from dree to ten seconds, and produces a pweasurabwe feewing.[14][19] Ejacuwation may continue for a few seconds after de euphoric sensation graduawwy tapers off. It is bewieved dat de exact feewing of "orgasm" varies from one man to anoder.[14] Normawwy, as a man ages, de amount of semen he ejacuwates diminishes, and so does de duration of orgasms. This does not normawwy affect de intensity of pweasure, but merewy shortens de duration, uh-hah-hah-hah. After ejacuwation, a refractory period usuawwy occurs, during which a man cannot achieve anoder orgasm. This can wast anywhere from wess dan a minute to severaw hours or days, depending on age and oder individuaw factors.[47][48][49]

Femawes

A woman's orgasm may wast swightwy wonger or much wonger dan a man's.[46][47][91][92] Women's orgasms have been estimated to wast, on average, approximatewy 20 seconds, and to consist of a series of muscuwar contractions in de pewvic area dat incwudes de vagina, de uterus, and de anus.[91] For some women, on some occasions, dese contractions begin soon after de woman reports dat de orgasm has started and continue at intervaws of about one second wif initiawwy increasing, and den reducing, intensity. In some instances, de series of reguwar contractions is fowwowed by a few additionaw contractions or shudders at irreguwar intervaws.[91] In oder cases, de woman reports having an orgasm, but no pewvic contractions are measured at aww.[93]

Women's orgasms are preceded by erection of de cwitoris and moistening of de opening of de vagina. Some women exhibit a sex fwush, a reddening of de skin over much of de body due to increased bwood fwow to de skin, uh-hah-hah-hah. As a woman nears orgasm, de cwitoraw gwans retracts under de cwitoraw hood, and de wabia minora (inner wips) become darker. As orgasm becomes imminent, de outer dird of de vagina tightens and narrows, whiwe overaww de vagina wengdens and diwates and awso becomes congested from engorged soft tissue.[94]

Ewsewhere in de body, myofibrobwasts of de nippwe-areowar compwex contract, causing erection of de nippwes and contraction of de areowar diameter, reaching deir maximum at de start of orgasm.[95] A woman experiences fuww orgasm when her uterus, vagina, anus, and pewvic muscwes undergo a series of rhydmic contractions. Most women find dese contractions very pweasurabwe.

Researchers from de University Medicaw Center of Groningen in de Nederwands correwated de sensation of orgasm wif muscuwar contractions occurring at a freqwency of 8–13 Hz centered in de pewvis and measured in de anus. They argue dat de presence of dis particuwar freqwency of contractions can distinguish between vowuntary contraction of dese muscwes and spontaneous invowuntary contractions, and appears to more accuratewy correwate wif orgasm as opposed to oder metrics wike heart rate dat onwy measure excitation, uh-hah-hah-hah. They assert dat dey have identified "[t]he first objective and qwantitative measure dat has a strong correspondence wif de subjective experience dat orgasm uwtimatewy is" and state dat de measure of contractions dat occur at a freqwency of 8–13 Hz is specific to orgasm. They found dat using dis metric dey couwd distinguish from rest, vowuntary muscuwar contractions, and even unsuccessfuw orgasm attempts.[96]

Since ancient times in Western Europe, women couwd be medicawwy diagnosed wif a disorder cawwed femawe hysteria, de symptoms of which incwuded faintness, nervousness, insomnia, fwuid retention, heaviness in abdomen, muscwe spasm, shortness of breaf, irritabiwity, woss of appetite for food or sex, and "a tendency to cause troubwe".[97] Women considered suffering from de condition wouwd sometimes undergo "pewvic massage" — stimuwation of de genitaws by de doctor untiw de woman experienced "hystericaw paroxysm" (i.e., orgasm). Paroxysm was regarded as a medicaw treatment, and not a sexuaw rewease.[97] The disorder has ceased to be recognized as a medicaw condition since de 1920s.

Brain

There have been very few studies correwating orgasm and brain activity in reaw time. One study examined 12 heawdy women using a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner whiwe dey were being stimuwated by deir partners. Brain changes were observed and compared between states of rest, sexuaw stimuwation, faked orgasm, and actuaw orgasm. Differences were reported in de brains of men and women during stimuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah. However, changes in brain activity were observed in bof sexes in which de brain regions associated wif behavioraw controw, fear and anxiety shut down, uh-hah-hah-hah. Regarding dese changes, Gert Howstege said in an interview wif The Times, "What dis means is dat deactivation, wetting go of aww fear and anxiety, might be de most important ding, even necessary, to have an orgasm."[98]

Whiwe stroking de cwitoris, de parts of de femawe brain responsibwe for processing fear, anxiety and behavioraw controw start to diminish in activity. This reaches a peak at orgasm when de femawe brain's emotion centers are effectivewy cwosed down to produce an awmost trance-wike state. Howstege is qwoted as saying, at de 2005 meeting of de European Society for Human Reproduction and Devewopment: "At de moment of orgasm, women do not have any emotionaw feewings."[99]

Initiaw reports indicated dat it was difficuwt to observe de effects of orgasm on men using PET scans, because de duration of de mawe orgasm was shorter. However, a subseqwent report by Rudie Kortekaas, et aw. stated, "Gender commonawities were most evident during orgasm... From dese resuwts, we concwude dat during de sexuaw act, differentiaw brain responses across genders are principawwy rewated to de stimuwatory (pwateau) phase and not to de orgasmic phase itsewf."[7]

Research has shown dat as in women, de emotionaw centers of a man's brain awso become deactivated during orgasm but to a wesser extent dan in women, uh-hah-hah-hah. Brain scans of bof sexes have shown dat de pweasure centers of a man's brain show more intense activity dan in women during orgasm.[100]

Human brain wave patterns show distinct changes during orgasm, which indicate de importance of de wimbic system in de orgasmic response.[3] Mawe and femawe brains demonstrate simiwar changes during orgasm, wif brain activity scans showing a temporary decrease in de metabowic activity of warge parts of de cerebraw cortex wif normaw or increased metabowic activity in de wimbic areas of de brain, uh-hah-hah-hah.[7]

EEG tracings from vowunteers during orgasm were first obtained by Mosovich and Tawwaferro in 1954.[101] These research workers recorded EEG changes resembwing petit maw or de cwonic phase of a grand maw seizure. Furder studies in dis direction were carried out by Sem-Jacobsen (1968), Heaf (1972), Cohen et aw. (1976),[102] and oders.[103][104] Sarrew et aw. reported a simiwar observation in 1977. These reports continue to be cited.[105] Unwike dem, Craber et aw. (1985) faiwed to find any distinctive EEG changes in four men during masturbation and ejacuwation; de audors concwuded dat de case for de existence of EEG changes specificawwy rewated to sexuaw arousaw and orgasm remained unproven, uh-hah-hah-hah.[106] So disagreement arises as to wheder de experiment conducted by Mosovich & Tawwaferro casts a new wight on de nature of orgasm. In some recent studies, audors tend to adopt de opposite point of view dat dere are no remarkabwe EEG changes during ejacuwation in humans.[107]

Heawf

Generaw

Orgasm, and sexuaw activity as a whowe, are physicaw activities dat can reqwire exertion of many major bodiwy systems. A 1997 study in de BMJ based upon 918 men age 45–59 found dat after a ten-year fowwow-up, men who had fewer orgasms were twice as wikewy to die of any cause as dose having two or more orgasms a week.[108] A fowwow-up in 2001 which focused more specificawwy on cardiovascuwar heawf found dat having sex dree or more times a week was associated wif a 50% reduction in de risk of heart attack or stroke. (Note dat as a ruwe, correwation does not impwy causation.)

A smaww percentage of men have a disease cawwed postorgasmic iwwness syndrome (POIS), which causes severe muscwe pain droughout de body and oder symptoms immediatewy fowwowing ejacuwation. The symptoms wast for up to a week.[109][110][111] Some doctors specuwate dat de freqwency of POIS "in de popuwation may be greater dan has been reported in de academic witerature",[112] and dat many POIS sufferers are undiagnosed.[113]

Dysfunction and satisfaction

The inabiwity to have orgasm, or reguwar difficuwty reaching orgasm after ampwe sexuaw stimuwation, is cawwed anorgasmia or inorgasmia.[114] If a mawe experiences erection and ejacuwation but no orgasm, he is said to have sexuaw anhedonia (a condition in which an individuaw cannot feew pweasure from an orgasm) or ejacuwatory anhedonia. Anorgasmia is significantwy more common in women dan in men,[115][116] which has been attributed to de wack of sex education wif regard to women's bodies, especiawwy in sex-negative cuwtures, such as cwitoraw stimuwation usuawwy being key for women to orgasm.[116]

Approximatewy 25% of women report difficuwties wif orgasm,[117] 10% of women have never had an orgasm,[118] and 40% or 40–50% have eider compwained about sexuaw dissatisfaction or experienced difficuwty becoming sexuawwy aroused at some point in deir wives.[119] A 1994 study by Laumann et aw. found dat 75% of men and 29% of women awways have orgasms wif deir partner.[120] Women are much more wikewy to be nearwy awways or awways orgasmic when awone dan wif a partner.[8] However, in a 1996 study by Davis et aw., 62% of women in a partnered rewationship said dey were satisfied wif de freqwency/consistency of deir orgasms.[8] Additionawwy, some women express dat deir most satisfying sexuaw experiences entaiw being connected to someone, rader dan sowewy basing satisfaction on orgasm.[121][122]

Kinsey's Sexuaw Behavior in de Human Femawe showed dat, over de previous five years of sexuaw activity, 78% of women had orgasms in 60% to 100% of sexuaw encounters wif oder women, compared wif 55% for heterosexuaw sex.[123] Kinsey attributed dis difference to femawe partners knowing more about women's sexuawity and how to optimize women's sexuaw satisfaction dan mawe partners do.[5] Like Kinsey, schowars such as Pepwau, Fingerhut and Beaws (2004) and Diamond (2006) found dat wesbians have orgasms more often and more easiwy in sexuaw interactions dan heterosexuaw women do,[5] and dat femawe partners are more wikewy to emphasize de emotionaw aspects of wovemaking.[5] In contrast, research by Diane Howmberg and Karen L. Bwair (2009), pubwished in de Journaw of Sex Research, found dat women in same-sex rewationships enjoyed identicaw sexuaw desire, sexuaw communication, sexuaw satisfaction, and satisfaction wif orgasm as deir heterosexuaw counterparts.[124]

Specificawwy in rewation to simuwtaneous orgasm and simiwar practices, many sexowogists cwaim dat de probwem of premature ejacuwation[125] is cwosewy rewated to de idea encouraged by a scientific approach in de earwy 20f century when mutuaw orgasm was overwy emphasized as an objective and a sign of true sexuaw satisfaction in intimate rewationships.

If orgasm is desired, anorgasmia may be attributed to an inabiwity to rewax. It may be associated wif performance pressure and an unwiwwingness to pursue pweasure, as separate from de oder person's satisfaction; often, women worry so much about de pweasure of deir partner dat dey become anxious, which manifests as impatience wif de deway of orgasm for dem. This deway can wead to frustration of not reaching orgasmic sexuaw satisfaction, uh-hah-hah-hah.[117] Psychoanawyst Wiwhewm Reich, in his 1927 book Die Funktion des Orgasmus (pubwished in Engwish in 1980 as Genitawity in de Theory and Therapy of Neurosis) was de first to make orgasm centraw to de concept of mentaw heawf, and defined neurosis in terms of bwocks to having orgastic potency. Awdough orgasm dysfunction can have psychowogicaw components, physiowogicaw factors often pway a rowe. For instance, dewayed orgasm or de inabiwity to achieve orgasm is a common side effect of many medications.

Theoreticaw biowogicaw and evowutionary functions of femawe orgasm

Shifts in research

The function or functions of de human femawe orgasm have been debated among researchers.[129] Because mawe orgasms dat expew sperm from de body into de vagina during sexuaw intercourse may resuwt in conception, researchers have severaw hypodeses about de rowe, if any, of de femawe orgasm in de reproductive and derefore evowutionary process.[9][10][29][54] The witerature started wif de argument dat femawe orgasm is a byproduct of shared earwy mawe ontogeny, where mawe orgasm is an adaptation.[130] Research has shifted to investigate and awso support de sire-choice hypodesis, which proposes dat femawe orgasm has been shaped by naturaw sewection to function in de sewection of high qwawity sires (mawe parents) for offspring. Therefore, orgasm increases de chances of conceiving wif mawes of a high genetic qwawity.[131][132] Research by Randy Thornhiww et aw. indicates dat femawe orgasm is more freqwent during intercourse wif a mawe partner wif wow fwuctuating asymmetry.[133]

Sewective pressure and mating

Wawwen K and Lwoyd EA stated, "In men, orgasms are under strong sewective pressure as orgasms are coupwed wif ejacuwation and dus contribute to mawe reproductive success. By contrast, women's orgasms in intercourse are highwy variabwe and are under wittwe sewective pressure as dey are not a reproductive necessity."[10]

Desmond Morris suggested in his 1967 popuwar-science book The Naked Ape dat de femawe orgasm evowved to encourage physicaw intimacy wif a mawe partner and hewp reinforce de pair bond. Morris suggested dat de rewative difficuwty in achieving femawe orgasm, in comparison to de mawe's, might be favorabwe in Darwinian evowution by weading de femawe to sewect mates who bear qwawities wike patience, care, imagination, intewwigence, as opposed to qwawities wike size and aggression, which pertain to mate sewection in oder primates. Such advantageous qwawities dereby become accentuated widin de species, driven by de differences between mawe and femawe orgasm. If mawes were motivated by, and taken to de point of, orgasm in de same way as femawes, dose advantageous qwawities wouwd not be needed, since sewf-interest wouwd be enough.

Fertiwity

There are deories dat de femawe orgasm might increase fertiwity.[9][29][54] For exampwe, de 30% reduction in size of de vagina couwd hewp cwench onto de penis (much wike, or perhaps caused by, de pubococcygeus muscwes), which wouwd make it more stimuwating for de mawe (dus ensuring faster or more vowuminous ejacuwation). The British biowogists Baker and Bewwis have suggested dat de femawe orgasm may have a peristawsis or "upsuck" action (simiwar to de esophagus' abiwity to swawwow when upside down), resuwting in de retaining of favorabwe sperm and making conception more wikewy.[134] They posited a rowe of femawe orgasm in sperm competition.

The observation dat women tend to reach orgasm more easiwy when dey are ovuwating awso suggests dat it is tied to increasing fertiwity.[135] Evowutionary biowogist Robin Baker argues in Sperm Wars dat occurrence and timing of orgasms are aww a part of de femawe body's unconscious strategy to cowwect and retain sperm from more evowutionariwy fit men, uh-hah-hah-hah.[citation needed] An orgasm during intercourse functions as a bypass button to a woman's naturaw cervicaw fiwter against sperm and padogens. An orgasm before functions to strengden de fiwter.

Desmond Morris proposed dat orgasm might faciwitate conception by exhausting de femawe and keeping her horizontaw, dus preventing de sperm from weaking out. This possibiwity, sometimes cawwed de "Poweaxe Hypodesis" or de "Knockout Hypodesis", is now considered highwy doubtfuw. A 1994 Learning Channew documentary on sex had fiber optic cameras inside de vagina of a woman whiwe she had sexuaw intercourse. During her orgasm, her pewvic muscwes contracted and her cervix repeatedwy dipped into a poow of semen in de vaginaw fornix, as if to ensure dat sperm wouwd proceed by de externaw orifice of de uterus, making conception more wikewy.[136]

Evowutionary psychowogists Christopher Ryan and Caciwda Jefá, in deir discussion of de femawe orgasm, address how wong it takes for femawes to achieve orgasm compared to mawes, and femawes' abiwity to have muwtipwe orgasms, hypodesizing how especiawwy weww suited to muwtipwe partners and insemination dis is. They qwote primate sexuawity speciawist Awan Dixson in saying dat de monogamy-maintenance expwanation for femawe orgasm "seems far-fetched" because "femawes of oder primate species, and particuwarwy dose wif muwtimawe-muwtifemawe [promiscuous] mating systems such as macaqwes and chimpanzees, exhibit orgasmic responses in de absence of such bonding or de formation of stabwe famiwy units." On de oder hand, Dixson states dat "Gibbons, which are primariwy monogamous, do not exhibit obvious signs of femawe orgasm."[137]

The femawe promiscuity expwanation of femawe sexuawity was echoed at weast 12 years earwier by oder evowutionary biowogists, and dere is increasing scientific awareness of de femawe proceptive phase.[138] Though Dixson cwassifies humans as miwdwy powygynous in his survey of primate sexuawity, he appears to have doubts, when he writes, "One might argue dat ... de femawe's orgasm is rewarding, increases her wiwwingness to copuwate wif a variety of mawes rader dan one partner, and dus promotes sperm competition, uh-hah-hah-hah." Ryan and Jefá use dis as evidence for deir deory dat partibwe paternity and promiscuity were common for earwy modern humans.[137]

Adaptive or vestigiaw

The cwitoris is homowogous to de penis; dat is, dey bof devewop from de same embryonic structure.[33][34] Whiwe researchers such as Geoffrey Miwwer, Hewen Fisher, Meredif Smaww and Sarah Bwaffer Hrdy "have viewed de cwitoraw orgasm as a wegitimate adaptation in its own right, wif major impwications for femawe sexuaw behavior and sexuaw evowution,"[9] oders, such as Donawd Symons and Stephen Jay Gouwd, have asserted dat de cwitoris is vestigiaw or nonadaptive, and dat de femawe orgasm serves no particuwar evowutionary function, uh-hah-hah-hah.[9][54] However, Gouwd acknowwedged dat "most femawe orgasms emanate from a cwitoraw, rader dan vaginaw (or some oder), site" and stated dat his nonadaptive bewief "has been widewy misunderstood as a deniaw of eider de adaptive vawue of femawe orgasm in generaw, or even as a cwaim dat femawe orgasms wack significance in some broader sense". He expwained dat awdough he accepts dat "cwitoraw orgasm pways a pweasurabwe and centraw rowe in femawe sexuawity and its joys," "[a]ww dese favorabwe attributes, however, emerge just as cwearwy and just as easiwy, wheder de cwitoraw site of orgasm arose as a spandrew or an adaptation". He said dat de "mawe biowogists who fretted over [de adaptionist qwestions] simpwy assumed dat a deepwy vaginaw site, nearer de region of fertiwization, wouwd offer greater sewective benefit" due to deir Darwinian, summum bonum bewiefs about enhanced reproductive success.[54]

Proponents of de nonadaptive hypodesis, such as Ewisabef Lwoyd, refer to de rewative difficuwty of achieving femawe orgasm drough vaginaw sex, de wimited evidence for increased fertiwity after orgasm and de wack of statisticaw correwation between de capacity of a woman to orgasm and de wikewihood dat she wiww engage in intercourse.[29][139] "Lwoyd is by no means against evowutionary psychowogy. Quite de opposite; in her medods and in her writing, she advocates and demonstrates a commitment to de carefuw appwication of evowutionary deory to de study of human behavior," stated Meredif L. Chivers. She added dat Lwoyd "meticuwouswy considers de deoreticaw and empiricaw bases for each account and uwtimatewy concwudes dat dere is wittwe evidence to support an adaptionist account of femawe orgasm" and dat Lwoyd instead "views femawe orgasm as an ontogenetic weftover; women have orgasms because de urogenitaw neurophysiowogy for orgasm is so strongwy sewected for in mawes dat dis devewopmentaw bwueprint gets expressed in femawes widout affecting fitness, just as mawes have nippwes dat serve no fitness-rewated function".[139]

A 2005 twin study found dat one in dree women reported never or sewdom achieving orgasm during sexuaw intercourse, and onwy one in ten awways orgasmed. This variation in abiwity to orgasm, generawwy dought to be psychosociaw, was found to be 34% to 45% genetic. The study, examining 4000 women, was pubwished in Biowogy Letters, a Royaw Society journaw.[140][141] Ewisabef Lwoyd has cited dis as evidence for de notion dat femawe orgasm is not adaptive.[29][142]

Miwwer, Hrdy, Hewen O'Conneww and Natawie Angier have criticized de "femawe orgasm is vestigiaw" hypodesis as understating and devawuing de psychosociaw vawue of de femawe orgasm.[9] Hrdy stated dat de hypodesis smacks of sexism.[143] O'Conneww said, "It boiws down to rivawry between de sexes: de idea dat one sex is sexuaw and de oder reproductive. The truf is dat bof are sexuaw and bof are reproductive."[6] O'Conneww used MRI technowogy to define de true size and shape of de cwitoris, suggesting dat it extends into de anterior waww of de vagina (see above).

O'Conneww describes typicaw textbook descriptions of de cwitoris as wacking detaiw and incwuding inaccuracies, saying dat de work of Georg Ludwig Kobewt in de earwy 19f century provides a most comprehensive and accurate description of cwitoraw anatomy. She argues dat de buwbs appear to be part of de cwitoris and dat de distaw uredra and vagina are intimatewy rewated structures, awdough dey are not erectiwe in character, forming a tissue cwuster wif de cwitoris dat appears to be de center of femawe sexuaw function and orgasm.[6] By contrast, Nancy Tuana, at de 2002 conference for Canadian Society of Women in Phiwosophy, argues dat de cwitoris is unnecessary in reproduction, but dat dis is why it has been "historicawwy ignored", mainwy because of "a fear of pweasure. It is pweasure separated from reproduction, uh-hah-hah-hah. That's de fear". She reasoned dat dis fear is de cause of de ignorance dat veiws femawe sexuawity.[144]

An empiricaw study carried out in 2008 provides evidence for Freud's impwied wink between inabiwity to have a vaginaw orgasm and psychosexuaw immaturity. In de study, women reported deir past monf freqwency of different sexuaw behaviors and corresponding orgasm rates and compweted de Defense Stywe Questionnaire (DSQ-40), which is associated wif various psychopadowogies. The study concwuded dat a "vaginaw orgasm was associated wif wess somatization, dissociation, dispwacement, autistic fantasy, devawuation, and isowation of affect." Moreover, "vaginawwy anorgasmic women had immature defenses scores comparabwe to dose of estabwished (depression, sociaw anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive–compuwsive disorder) outpatient psychiatric groups." In de study, a vaginaw orgasm (as opposed to a cwitoraw orgasm) was defined as being triggered sowewy by peniwe–vaginaw intercourse.[147] According to Wiwhewm Reich, de wack of women's capacity to have a vaginaw orgasm is due to a wack of orgastic potency, which he bewieved to be de resuwt of cuwture's suppression of genitaw sexuawity.[148]

Invowuntary orgasm

Medicaw research shows dat de genitaw refwex is part of de spinaw cord, and not necessariwy under conscious controw.[149][150][151]

Orgasms may dus occur as de resuwt of sexuaw assauwt or rape. An invowuntary orgasm from forced sexuaw contact often resuwts in feewings of shame caused by internawization of victim-bwaming attitudes.[152][153] The incidence of dose who experience unsowicited sexuaw contact and experience orgasm is very wow, dough possibwy under-reported due to shame or embarrassment; such orgasms additionawwy happen regardwess of gender.[153]

Lack of controw over orgasms may be used as part of consensuaw BDSM pway; dis practice is known as forced orgasm.

Tantric sex

Tantric sex, which is not de same as Buddhist tantra (Vajrayana), is de ancient Indian spirituaw tradition of sexuaw practices. It attributes a different vawue to orgasm dan traditionaw cuwturaw approaches to sexuawity. Some practitioners of tantric sex aim to ewiminate orgasm from sexuaw intercourse by remaining for a wong time in de pre-orgasmic and non-emission state. Advocates of dis, such as Rajneesh, cwaim dat it eventuawwy causes orgasmic feewings to spread out to aww of one's conscious experience.[154][155]

Advocates of tantric and neotantric sex who cwaim dat Western cuwture focuses too much on de goaw of cwimactic orgasm, which reduces de abiwity to have intense pweasure during oder moments of de sexuaw experience, suggest dat ewiminating dis enabwes a richer, fuwwer and more intense connection, uh-hah-hah-hah.[156]

Literature

Orgasm has been widewy described in witerature over de centuries. In antiqwity, Latin witerature addressed de subject as much as Greek witerature: Book III of Ovid's Metamorphoses retewws a discussion between Jove and Juno, in which de former states: "The sense of pweasure in de mawe is far / More duww and dead, dan what you femawes share."[157] Juno rejects dis dought; dey agree to ask de opinion of Tiresias ("who had known Venus/Love in bof ways," having wived seven years as a femawe).[158] Tiresias offends Juno by agreeing wif Jove, and she strikes him bwind on de spot (Jove wessens de bwow by giving Tiresias de gift of foresight, and a wong wife).[159] Earwier, in de Ars Amatoria, Ovid states dat he abhors sexuaw intercourse dat faiws to compwete bof partners.[160]

The deme of orgasm survived during Romanticism and is incorporated in many homoerotic works. In FRAGMENT: Supposed to be an Epidawamium of Francis Ravaiwwac and Charwotte Cordé, Percy Bysshe Shewwey (1792–1822), "a transwator of extraordinary range and versatiwity",[161] wrote de phrase "No wife can eqwaw such a deaf." That phrase has been seen as a metaphor for orgasm,[162] and it was preceded by de rhydmic urgency of de previous wines "Suck on, suck on, I gwow, I gwow!", which has been seen as awwuding to fewwatio.[162] For Shewwey, orgasm was "de awmost invowuntary conseqwences of a state of abandonment in de society of a person of surpassing attractions".[163]Edward Ewwerker Wiwwiams, de wast wove of Shewwey's wife, was remembered by de poet in "The Boat on de Serchio", which has been considered as possibwy "de grandest portrayaw of orgasm in witerature":[162]

Shewwey, in dis poem, associates orgasm wif deaf when he writes "de deaf which wovers wove".[162] In French witerature, de term wa petite mort (de wittwe deaf) is a famous euphemism for orgasm;[164] it is de representation of man who forgets himsewf and de worwd during orgasm. Jorge Luis Borges, in de same vision, wrote in one of de severaw footnotes of "Twön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius" dat one of de churches of Twön cwaims Pwatonicawwy dat "Aww men, in de vertiginous moment of coitus, are de same man, uh-hah-hah-hah. Aww men who repeat a wine from Shakespeareare Wiwwiam Shakespeare."[165] Shakespeare himsewf was knowwedgeabwe of dis idea: wines "I wiww wive in dy heart, die in dy wap, and be buried in dy eyes" and "I wiww die bravewy, wike a smug bridegroom", said respectivewy by Benedick in Much Ado About Noding and by King Lear in de pway of dat iwk,[166] are interpreted as "to die in a woman's wap" = "to experience a sexuaw orgasm".[167]Sigmund Freud wif his psychoanawytic projects, in The Ego and de Id (1923), specuwates dat sexuaw satisfaction by orgasm make Eros ("wife instinct") exhausted and weaves de fiewd open to Thanatos ("deaf instinct"), in oder words, wif orgasm Eros fuwfiwws its mission and gives way to Thanatos.[168] Oder modern audors have chosen to represent de orgasm widout metaphors. In de novew Lady Chatterwey's Lover (1928), by D. H. Lawrence, we can find an expwicit narrative of a sexuaw act between a coupwe: "As he began to move, in de sudden hewpwess orgasm dere awoke in her strange driwws rippwing inside her..."[169]

Oder animaws

The mechanics of mawe orgasm are simiwar in most mawe mammaws.[170] Femawes of some mammaw and some non-mammaw species, such as awwigators,[171] have cwitorises. There has been ongoing research about de sexuawity and orgasms of dowphins, a species which apparentwy engages in sexuaw intercourse for reasons oder dan procreation.[172] The duration of orgasm varies considerabwy among different mammaw species.[173]

^Reich, Wiwhewm (1984) Chiwdren of de Future: On de Prevention of Sexuaw Padowogy. New York: Farrar Straus and Giroux, footnote on p. 142: "1949: The statement dat de girw's cwitoraw masturbation is normaw is awso due to de den prevawent psychoanawytic concept dat de wittwe girw had no vaginaw genatiwity. The wack of vaginaw genatiwity was water shown by sex-economy to be an artifact of our cuwture, which suppresses genitawity compwetewy and instiwws castration anxiety not onwy in de boy but awso in de girw. This creates a true secondary drive in de form of penis envy and predominance of cwitoraw genitawity. Psychoanawytic deory mistook dese artificiaw secondary drives for primary, naturaw functions."

^Nationaw Geographic's Dowphins: The wiwd side documentary (1999). "Sex is as freqwent as it is casuaw, a sociaw toow used to strengden and maintain bonds. But beneaf de harmony wies a darker side of dowphins. Gangs of strong mawes pick on younger or smawwer dowphins.", qwote from Nationaw Geographic website